Let’s be honest–writing thank you notes is one of the most tiring parts of the wedding process. Of course, you are thankful for your guests and want to show your gratitude to them, but the actual process of writing, sealing, and sending can be time-consuming and exhausting. Thankfully, there are a few tricks you can put in place to make the task as easy and efficient as possible, as well as ways to write notes that are genuine and sincere.
Start the Preparation Early
Don’t wait until after the wedding to start thinking about your thank you notes. Do what you can to prepare ahead of time so that you can get them out in a timely (and stress-free!) manner. Purchase the stationary, stock up on stamps, and find good quality pens with ink that doesn’t bleed. To give your hands a bit of a break after long writing sessions, purchase envelopes with a pre-printed return address, or invest in address stickers or stamps so you have one less thing to write out.
For keeping track of your thank you notes, copy the info over from your invite list to make a chart of all of your guests. Add one column for their mailing address, one for the gift they get you, and one for any notes so that you can remember specifics to include in their thank you letter. Add one final check off column for once you’ve completed and mailed the card so that you can track your progress.
You may be feeling a bit bogged down with other wedding planning to-dos, but if you get things in order ahead of time, your future self will thank you!
Write Thank Yous As Gifts Come In
Once you have your materials in order, start writing your notes for the guests who are on top of their game and send you wedding gifts before the big day. They’ll appreciate the prompt reply, and after the wedding, you’ll appreciate yourself for not putting it off! Let your guests know that you are looking forward to celebrating with them, and personalize it by writing about how you have been or will be enjoying the gift.
Getting the Wording Just Right
It’s important for your notes to sound personal rather than generic, so get specific with your words. If they sent you a waffle iron, tell them how excited you are to start using it for weekend breakfasts; if they gifted you a set of wine glasses, tell them you’re looking forward to inviting them over for a glass of wine. For those who sent a cash gift, thank them for their generous gift, and be specific about how you plan to use the money. The more personal, the more they’ll feel that you actually appreciate the gift.
Of course, gifts don’t come just in physical form. By coming to your wedding, they are also giving the gift of time, so be sure to show your appreciation for them coming to celebrate with you–especially if they traveled far! If the guest you are writing to helped with the wedding planning process in any way, such as throwing an engagement party or recommending a talented photographer or rock star band, be sure to thank them for their extra efforts as well.
Getting Down to Business
Come time to write your thank yous, put a schedule in place to avoid burnout. Try doing them in small increments, such as writing five and then taking a break, or getting as much done as you can in 30 minutes before putting the pen down. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, so don’t wear yourself down! Split the writing duties down the middle with your partner so that you can get through them quicker. You can simply split the batch in half, or have each partner write to the guests with whom they have a closer relationship.
When to Send
You’ll want to send the thank you notes as soon as possible, but your guests will understand that you have a lot to get through. Put a plan in place to efficiently check off your list, and send within three months after your wedding date to be timely.
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